RSVP for this free event.

WTTW and ITVS present Community Cinema in partnership with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Polk Bros. Foundation. You are invited attend a free screening of the Independent Lens documentary, The Homestretch, followed by a discussion and Resource Fair.

The Homestretch follows three homeless teens as they fight to stay in school, graduate, and build a future. Each of these smart, ambitious youths – Roque, Kasey, and Anthony – will surprise, inspire, and challenge you to rethink stereotypes of homelessness as they work to complete their education while facing the trauma of being alone and abandoned at an early age. While told through a personal perspective, their stories connect with larger issues of poverty, race, juvenile justice, immigration, foster care, and LGBTQ rights.

With unprecedented access into Chicago public schools, The Night Ministry “Crib” emergency youth shelter, and Teen Living Programs’ Belfort House, The Homestretch follows these kids as they move through the milestones of high school while navigating a landscape of couch hopping, emergency shelters, transitional homes, street families, and a school system on the front lines of the homelessness crisis.

The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Anthony, Kasey, Roque, and Maria (featured in the film); filmmakers Kirsten Kelly and Anne DeMare; and representatives from Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, The Night Ministry, and Teen Living Programs. There will also be a Homestretch Resource Fair (3:00-5:00 pm in the adjacent GAR Hall), featuring over 20 organizations, refreshments from Inspiration Kitchens, an interactive photo booth where participants can share their ideas about what makes a home, a StoryCorps Listening Booth, and performances from the Youth Empowerment Performance Project, Young Chicago Authors, and Kasey.

 This is a free event, but we request that you reserve your spot and RSVP.

Special Note: Please bring any of the following for donation if you can: single use Ventra cards, new full sized toiletries, new or gently used backpacks, new or gently used professional clothes for interviews, school supplies, and non-perishable food items.

This film was developed as part of the American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen! Initiative to raise awareness of the obstacles some students may face as they struggle to achieve a high school diploma.